The California Public Utilities Commission issued a proposed decision on Sept. 23 that would authorize the state’s investor-owned utilities to collect from ratepayers a non-bypassable charge to support California’s wildfire fund, which is designed to help utilities pay for wildfire damages linked to their transmission equipment. Pacific Gas and Electric Company must emerge from bankruptcy…
The Michigan Public Service Commission approved Consumers Energy Company’s third round of federal tax cut adjustments, which will refund about $1.63 billion to its electric and gas customers in amounts amortized over periods of up to 44 years, according to a Sept. 26 press release. The agency established a three-step process to address the short-…
The Oklahoma Corporation Commission has approved a settlement agreement with the Oklahoma Gas and Electric Company which had initially requested a $77.6 million dollar increase to its electric rates, according to a September 19 press release. Commission Chairman Todd Hiett praised the agreement as being in the best interest of Oklahoma and achieving more than simply low-cost electricity. The commission’s…
The Missouri Public Service Commission has approved a request by Liberty Utilities to change natural gas rates based on weather variations, according to a September 19 press release. Midstates Natural Gas Corp., a subsidiary of Liberty Utilities, requested adjustments to its natural gas rates under the weather normalization adjustment rider, which projects anticipated gas usage changes due…
The Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia is scheduled to discuss a framework for evaluating alternative ratemaking proposals following a request by Potomac Electric Power Company to boost its electric rates, according to a September 18 notice. In May, Pepco filed an application to increase rates for its electric distribution service in the…
Pacific Gas and Electric Company announced a $11 billion settlement representing about 85 percent of insurance claims associated with the 2017 and 2018 wildfires in California, according to a Sept. 13 press release. The agreement comes on the heels of PG&E’s reorganization plan filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California,…
The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio has approved the winter reconnect order, which is designed to help Ohioans reconnect or maintain electric and natural gas service during the winter heating season between Oct. 14, 2019 and April 15, 2020, according to a Sept. 11 press release. Under the order, any customer of a PUCO-regulated electric…
Southern California Edison Company asked the California Public Utilities Commission to authorize a revenue requirement of $7.6 billion to become effective January 1, 2021, according to an Aug. 30 filing. The request represents an increase of nearly $1.3 billion, or 20.1 percent, in 2021 over currently authorized and requested base rates, including sales reductions and…
The Maine Public Utilities Commission opened a proceeding on Sept. 3 to revise consumer protection standards for electric and gas utilities in accordance with legislation enacted in the 2019 session. The measure amends rules addressing service standards for utilities, billing practices, record keeping, and customer complaints. In May, the state passed three bills amending rules…
California’s energy landscape is evolving rapidly driven by its ambitious clean energy and carbon reduction goals. Recent actions range from enhancing renewable integration to reforming carbon market rules, strengthening auto-emission standards, and revising energy efficiency policies.
The Ohio Public Utilities Commission approved a settlement allowing Vectren Energy Delivery of Ohio to raise its annual distribution rates by $22 million, according to an Aug. 28 press release. The agreement also resolves Vectren’s infrastructure replacement and capital expenditure programs, allowing the company to continue to replace aging pipelines through 2023. The company will…
The Michigan Public Service Commission approved DTE Gas Co.’s third round of federal tax cut refunds that will return a total of $333 million, or $12.7 million annually, to customers, according to an Aug. 20 news release. The commission established a three-step process to address the short- and long-term impacts of the federal tax law, which…
